Gerard O'Donoghue - The HR Dept Moreton Bay - Start your own HR Business | HR Franchises

Life is full of experiences and opportunities to learn, and starting my own HR Dept franchise business is no different. "

Gerard O'Donoghue - The HR Dept Moreton Bay

What’s your full name, your age and your title?

Gerard John O’Donoghue/ 50 / Director

What is your territory and what areas do you cover?

Moreton Bay. From Eatons Hill (4037) in the south, Elimbah (4516) to the north, Dayboro (4521) in the west, and Scarborough/ Redcliffe (4020) to the east.

Where are your offices based?

Scarborough, 4020

Please outline your CV, your HR experience and your professional qualifications? What’s the most significant HR role you have had to date?

I have 20 years’ HR experience having held a range of senior management roles with employers across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. For the last ten years, I was the Chief Human Resources Officer for one of the largest Medical Research Institute’s in Australia.

I have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies (Industrial Relations) from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), a Diploma of Human Resources and is a Certified Professional Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (CAHRI).

While my repertoire of HR skills and capabilities are broad, my strengths and passions includes: business improvement, employee capability & performance, employment contracts, organisational design, change management and employee relations.

What’s the story behind you taking up the licence to operate The HR Dept?

My corporate career ended earlier than expected and so circumstances meant now is the right time to make the leap into my own business.

What’s your passion behind setting up your new business?

A strong desire and commitment to taking charge of my future and destiny, instead of it being in the hands of others.

How are you feeling about the prospects of setting up on your own? Is it going to be a major step into the unknown for you?

Life is full of experiences and opportunities to learn, and starting my own HR Dept franchise business is no different. I believe that if you are going to do something, do it well; do it right or don’t do it at all! This philosophy will guide me now.

And on behalf of local businesses in your area, how excited are you about the prospects of bringing something unique into the local marketplace?

I am convinced more than ever, that so many businesses (small and large) are doing it tough and have faced increasing challenges with their workforces during the pandemic. I know I can make a difference so I am naturally looking forward to doing so and achieving my own goals in the process.

Do you have any noteworthy pastime, hobbies, or extra-curricular activities? Is there anything remarkable about your working history? Have you overcome any significant life challenges to get where you are today? Any celebrity clients, celebrity relationships, etc? We’re looking here for anything which leaps out from your past which may make your story more newsworthy. Don’t worry if nothing does!

‘Remarkable’ is a big word; I am not the kind of person who is comfortable with using that to describe myself or my place in the world. Like everybody, I have endured my fair share of life challenges and ‘character building events’ (e.g. family, financial, legal, health etc) and although one can really struggle at the time of such events, we usually come through better for it; I am no different.

At the age of 40, I went to university to undertake an Executive MBA which was done in an accelerated 2 year period whilst still working circa 50hrs p/week. With a life-long appreciation for music and gift for singing, I have also had the opportunity to regularly perform in front of large crowds and even did so on live national television in 2005. I have held good jobs and been paid very well but I think my greatest accomplishment is my family (my wife and son).

What are your ambitions for the business? Are you aiming to grow it into something employing several staff, or are you simply aiming for better work/life balance?

Coming from a very well remunerated corporate executive role, I do have some big goals for my HR Dept business; whilst the opportunity to achieve some health work/ life balance is understandably worthy of pursuit at the age of 50, that is not intended to be attained at the expense of growing the business. For me to achieve the financial goals I have set, it is necessary for me to be able to ‘scale up’ and leverage the skills and knowledge of others; so yes, the plan is to employ and grow a small but highly dedicated team to grow my business.

Are there any recent developments in HR legislation which is impacting SMEs around Australia?

Sure; one example is the recent introduction of the portable long service leave scheme (for casuals) in Queensland is a factor for SME’s operating in the community care sector; at 1.35% of hours worked, this is a significant financial burden to carry having regard to the fact that it applies to casual staff.

Are there any types of clients you’re looking for – particular sectors, size, types of business owners you’re looking to work with? And do you have specialist knowledge in any sector which we can use to get you press traction?

I think it’s important to keep an open mind here; SME’s are inherently going to be diverse and to that extent, I am more than prepared to work with anybody if it is mutually beneficial. That said, I suspect there may also be a ‘natural’ gravitation to white collar/ professional businesses given my background…but we’ll see!

Do you have children? Their names? And do you have a partner, what’s his/her name and what does he/she do?

My immediate family (and life’s priority) consists of my wife of 30 yrs, Rachael and son Shaun (23). Rachael is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker, and Assistant Director of Clinical Operations; Shaun, a business/ economics graduate from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), has recently started his first full-time job working with one of the ‘big four’ consulting companies, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC). Our ‘other kids’ are our two Toy Poodles Pickles (10) and Scooby (7), and Devon Rex cat Mickie (2).